SARPE - post op 4 months, expander just removed

[Guest guest]

I just had my expander removed after my SARPE surgery. I was

expanded I think about 8 mm. I had gappage that put me in the " Jerry

Springer guest " category, but my front teeth quickly moved by

themselves to some semblance of normalcy.

Today I was supposed to go in and get the expander removed and get a

TPA put on and upper braces. It was going to be a long appointment.

The orthodontist for whatever reason (I suspect because he was

running slightly late with patients) just removed the expander and

put on the top braces. He did not put in the TPA.

My TPA appointment is not for another month. I'm worried that the

point of the TPA is to hold the expanded jaw at the right width so

that it doesn't retract at all. That and to possibly

stabilize/protect a slightly delicate jaw after having the bone cut

through a few months ago. Wouldn't not putting it in for a month

risk some retraction? I'm worried now. And if I don't need it right

now with the expander just out, why do I need it at all then?

I don't get it. Any SARPE people out there have or not have a TPA (a

smaller thing going across the roof of the mouth after the expander

is removed)?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I had upper palate expansion in March and did not have anything installed after

the expander was removed. I was expanded 12 mm and had a gap that made the guy

from Mad Magazine's look small in comparison (I can't remember his name)!!! My

ortho told me that they overexpand it because it has a tendency to move back to

its original position. So I imagine your ortho took that into consideration in

the intial expansion measurement. But I would certainly ask.

Okay, I too have a question for those who had palate expansion...was your

talking after the upper/lower surgery more or less the same as when the palate

expander was installed or was it worse than that?

Sharon

SARPE - post op 4 months, expander

just removed

I just had my expander removed after my SARPE surgery. I was

expanded I think about 8 mm. I had gappage that put me in the " Jerry

Springer guest " category, but my front teeth quickly moved by

themselves to some semblance of normalcy.

Today I was supposed to go in and get the expander removed and get a

TPA put on and upper braces. It was going to be a long appointment.

The orthodontist for whatever reason (I suspect because he was

running slightly late with patients) just removed the expander and

put on the top braces. He did not put in the TPA.

My TPA appointment is not for another month. I'm worried that the

point of the TPA is to hold the expanded jaw at the right width so

that it doesn't retract at all. That and to possibly

stabilize/protect a slightly delicate jaw after having the bone cut

through a few months ago. Wouldn't not putting it in for a month

risk some retraction? I'm worried now. And if I don't need it right

now with the expander just out, why do I need it at all then?

I don't get it. Any SARPE people out there have or not have a TPA (a

smaller thing going across the roof of the mouth after the expander

is removed)?

[Guest guest]

How long did you have to wear the expander after you stopped turning

it?

> Hi ,

> I had upper palate expansion in March and did not have anything

installed after the expander was removed. I was expanded 12 mm and

had a gap that made the guy from Mad Magazine's look small in

comparison (I can't remember his name)!!! My ortho told me that they

overexpand it because it has a tendency to move back to its original

position. So I imagine your ortho took that into consideration in

the intial expansion measurement. But I would certainly ask.

>

> Okay, I too have a question for those who had palate

expansion...was your talking after the upper/lower surgery more or

less the same as when the palate expander was installed or was it

worse than that?

> Sharon

>

[Guest guest]

Thankfully , I can't recall exactly :-) which is really nice because it

seemed so preoccupying at the time. I'm hoping my big surgery is the same long

lost memory very soon afterwards as well. I venture to say that the expander

was in for a total of 7 months. Pre-op and turning took two months, and

probably wore the expander for another 5 while the gap completely closed.

I realize now that I said I had the expansion surgery in March. Wow, it was

actually LAST March! How long had you had the expander in?

Sharon

Re: SARPE - post op 4 months,

expander just removed

How long did you have to wear the expander after you stopped turning

it?

> Hi ,

> I had upper palate expansion in March and did not have anything

installed after the expander was removed. I was expanded 12 mm and

had a gap that made the guy from Mad Magazine's look small in

comparison (I can't remember his name)!!! My ortho told me that they

overexpand it because it has a tendency to move back to its original

position. So I imagine your ortho took that into consideration in

the intial expansion measurement. But I would certainly ask.

>

> Okay, I too have a question for those who had palate

expansion...was your talking after the upper/lower surgery more or

less the same as when the palate expander was installed or was it

worse than that?

> Sharon

>

[Guest guest]

Jennlee... No way anything in or on your face could put you in the

Springer bin...

You may have changes. Sounds as though you DO have changes. But not

to vault you up to Mr. Springer's troublesome altitudes!

Call the doc dude's office and stamp your little foot. Tell him or

her you want an answer, before damage happens.

Good wishes. You don't gotta be ugly, but you have every right to be

concerned.

C.

> I just had my expander removed after my SARPE surgery. I was

> expanded I think about 8 mm. I had gappage that put me in

the " Jerry

> Springer guest " category, but my front teeth quickly moved by

> themselves to some semblance of normalcy.

>

> Today I was supposed to go in and get the expander removed and get

a

> TPA put on and upper braces. It was going to be a long

appointment.

> The orthodontist for whatever reason (I suspect because he was

> running slightly late with patients) just removed the expander and

> put on the top braces. He did not put in the TPA.

>

> My TPA appointment is not for another month. I'm worried that the

> point of the TPA is to hold the expanded jaw at the right width so

> that it doesn't retract at all. That and to possibly

> stabilize/protect a slightly delicate jaw after having the bone cut

> through a few months ago. Wouldn't not putting it in for a month

> risk some retraction? I'm worried now. And if I don't need it

right

> now with the expander just out, why do I need it at all then?

>

> I don't get it. Any SARPE people out there have or not have a TPA

(a

> smaller thing going across the roof of the mouth after the expander

> is removed)?

[Guest guest]

I had the surgery right at the end of March. They took the expander

out yesterday, so that's only about four months.

My turning was less than two weeks - I was doing four turns a day for

the first week. My doctor said I would be expanding 10 mm but I

don't know what it ended up being. the gap between my teeth at one

point (that I measured with a regular ruler) was 8mm.

I took a photographic record of first five days of my turning and

melded it into an animated gif, which is kinda interesting:

http://jennlee.hypermart.net/images/sequence.gif

You have another surgery coming up? Thankfully I'm all done now

except the course of braces and stuff. Good luck with it!

> Thankfully , I can't recall exactly :-) which is really

nice because it seemed so preoccupying at the time. I'm hoping my

big surgery is the same long lost memory very soon afterwards as

well. I venture to say that the expander was in for a total of 7

months. Pre-op and turning took two months, and probably wore the

expander for another 5 while the gap completely closed.

>

> I realize now that I said I had the expansion surgery in March.

Wow, it was actually LAST March! How long had you had the expander

in?

> Sharon

>

>

> Re: SARPE - post op 4

months, expander just removed

>

>

> How long did you have to wear the expander after you stopped

turning

> it?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hmm..interesting. I turned the expander only 2x per day for a whole month! But

then again, I might be older and therefore slower (only in terms of bone

movement that it!). I'm 34.

Sharon

Re: SARPE - post op 4

months, expander just removed

>

>

> How long did you have to wear the expander after you stopped

turning

> it?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Wow, I'm 34 as well!

It was strange, because my ortho gave me instructions to do one turn

twice per day for like 21 days or so but when the surgeon saw the

instructions, he nixed them and said that they were for young people

who didn't have the surgery (just the expander) but with the surgery

they had found you could go much faster.

Weird. It did make me sortof nervous because it was super fast.

Some people at work stopped by practically daily to view my widening

gap, and you could really see the difference from day to day. Heh.

I'm sure enjoying not having the expander in! My mouth feels so much

bigger without all that metal in there!

Jen

> Hmm..interesting. I turned the expander only 2x per day for a

whole month! But then again, I might be older and therefore slower

(only in terms of bone movement that it!). I'm 34.

> Sharon

>